Recent Articles
Boundaries and Balance
Practicing balance and boundaries to maintain the sacredness of our being is vital to self-care. Here is why a boundaryless life is problematic.
U.S. Evangelicals Represent More Than One Third of ‘High Conspiratorial Thinkers’
Nearly one-in-five U.S. adults believe in the two central elements of “replacement theory,” according to a new report. U.S. evangelicals represent more than a third of those classified as “high conspiratorial thinkers.”
May 17, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: A Fringe Conspiracy Theory, Fostered Online, is Refashioned by the GOP; ‘Replacement’ Theories Driving Gunmen Creep into Mainstream Politics; The Roots of the ‘Great Replacement Theory’; GOP Governor Says Rays Victims Must Carry the Baby to Term (and more)
Talking to History: A Conversation with Lt. Col. Enoch “Woody” Woodhouse
Museums provide insight into people and events that shaped our present-day realities. There’s no substitute, however, for talking to those who made history. Recently, I spoke with one of the Tuskegee Airman of World War II.
Jumping Through ‘Hoops’ for Mental Health Services Must End
Around 1 in 5 Americans are struggling with mental health. Too often, people must jump through multiple “hoops” to obtain help that is covered by their insurance. This must change.
Religion Most Common Charitable Donation Category in Florida
Religious organizations in Florida received the highest percentage of all charitable donations and the highest average amount given, a recent report found. This giving level mirrors national trends.
May 16, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Margaret Atwood: I Invented Gilead. The Supreme Court is Making it Real.; Why Some Black Churches Aren’t Elated About the Possible End of Roe; Report Details Church-State Collusion on Native Schools; The Most Famous Girl at the Waffle House – and a Former Southern Baptist (and more)
People of Good Faith: J. Daniel Day
J. Daniel Day is pastor emeritus of the First Baptist Church (Salisbury St.) of Raleigh, North Carolina, and former senior professor of preaching and worship at Campbell University Divinity School.
Reaction and Response | Four in 10 Worry About ‘Illegal Immigration’
Four in 10 Americans reported that they worry “a great deal” about “illegal immigration” in a recent Gallup survey. Several faith leaders offered their reaction and response to the findings.
Look Back | Creating Sacred Space for Conversations on Abortion
Conversations about abortion often overlook or ignore the stories of people who have experienced them. Rather than dividing into ‘pro-choice’ or ‘pro-life’ camps, a ‘pro-voice’ perspective offers another path.
May 13, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: White Nationalists Get Religion: On the Far-Right Fringe, Catholics and Racists Forge a Movement; Native American Boarding Schools in Kansas Supported US Land Grab and Forced Cultural Assimilation; Dispute Over School Anti-Racism Policies, ‘Critical Race Theory’ Move to Courts; Bible Used to Fuel Homophobia in Africa (and more)
The Looming Dangers of the SCOTUS Opinion
The leaked SCOTUS opinion that would overturn ‘Roe v. Wade’ shocked supporters of reproductive health care last week. There are other implications that need to be considered, too.
Half of Federal Indian Boarding Schools in U.S. Involved Religious Organizations
The U.S. Department of Interior released on May 11 a report of its initial findings on the Federal Indian Boarding School System that operated from around 1819 to 1969. Religious organizations had significant involvement in the system.
How Do You Preach on the Trinity?
Trinity Sunday, June 12 this year, is the one Sunday set aside for the preaching of arguably the most important and most arduous doctrine in the Christian faith. So, how does one preach on the Trinity?
May 12, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Why Tennessee is Just Now Looking to Life a Ban on Clergy in the Legislature; With Piles of Campaign Cash, Christian Activists Make North Texas School Board Races a State Battleground; Religion Professor: Marjorie Taylor Green’s Version of Christianity is a Massive Betrayal of the Teachings of Jesus; United Methodist Churches Cannot Disaffiliate from Denomination, Church Court Rules (and more)
The Cowbird Dilemma
A bird nest in the garage has revealed a number of unexpected dilemmas. It recalls the various moral and ethical quandaries we face when trying to determine the best course of action.
Have You Heard of the ‘Umms’?
Why there is waning church attendance has been the topic of conversation for at least the past 25 years. You likely know about the so-called “dones” and “nones,” but have you heard of the “umms”?
Righteousness, Justice and the Darkness of Our Times
Generations of sincere people have abused and misused the fourth beatitude of the Sermon on the Mount. We must consider two key terms, “righteousness” and “justice,” to interpret it rightly.
May 11, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church; How Christian Nationalism Perverted the Justice System and Gutted Our Rights; Orthodox Christian Churches are Drawing in Far-Right American Convert; Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Local Church Form Partnership to Host Thinking About Race Event (and more)
Not Ashamed, but Often Embarrassed
Many Americanized Christians seem more concerned about narrow political goals than about emulating the life and teachings of Jesus. All of this is being done under the guise of “Christian values.”
Radically Rearranging for What Is Just
Working for justice often requires upsetting the norms, but it also requires rearranging systematic practices that violate human rights. A Sierra Leonean proverb provides helpful guidance in this work.
Why I Am Leery of Labels, and You Should Be Too!
Labels can be useful, but they can also be misleading and even harmful. Here is why you should be leery about labels.
May 10, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Abortion: Why is the Court Using Religious Belief to Alter What Should Be Secular Law?; Questions Raised Over Similarities, Including Bible Verses, in San Diego Police Department Requests for COVID-19 Vaccine Exemptions; Caste Doesn’t Just Exist in India or Hinduism – It is Pervasive Across Many Religions in South Asia and the Diaspora; Moscow Continues Ignoring Church Leaders’ Pleas for Peace (and more)
The Children Caught in the Middle Don’t Get a Say
While it has been nearly 50 years of political bickering since the ‘Roe v. Wade’ decision, the children caught in the middle often don’t get a say. Here is part of my story and experience.
Is There a Constitutional Right to Privacy?
Is there a Constitutional right to privacy? It depends on who you ask. While this right is the basis for many Supreme Court decisions, many “originalists” do not believe such a right is guaranteed by the Constitution.
Nearly Half of U.S. Disapproves of SCOTUS, Two-Thirds Affirm Legal Abortion
A recent YouGov survey asked U.S. adults to share their views on the Supreme Court and polled respondents’ views on abortion. The findings track closely with two other surveys released last week.
May 9, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: After Leak, Religious Rift Over Legal Abortion on Display; A 49-Year Old Crusade: Inside the Movement to Overturn Roe v. Wade; Walla Union Bulletin; Centuries-Old Passion Play Returns After Pandemic Break (and more)
The Stars and the Scriptures
To see a woman’s lifelong dream come to fruition in historic and important ways leaves one feeling empowered and full to the brim of curiosity of what can happen when you see yourself represented in spaces not created for you.
Extending to Women the Right to Privacy
Humans have not done well in extending to women the right to privacy. Instead, we’ve held their feelings, experiences and decisions up for public scrutiny. It’s time for that to change.
Look Back | Politically Redefined Christian Ethics Undermines the Gospel
Many evangelicals in the U.S. have cast aside truthfulness, character and compassion for political expediency. It is baffling what those who claim a high allegiance to biblical truth will now accommodate and advance.